Molding strip



Get. 25, 1932. J w c 1,884,440

MOLDING STRI P Filed Oct. 22. 1929 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Get. 25,1932 nnrraoisrarss EDWARD J. wanes, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOLDING STRIP Application filed October 22, 1929. Serial No. 401,520.

The invention concerns a molding strip of the type which is madeofdeformable metal such as aluminum.

It initially is of such shape as will permit the application of nails tothe base of the strip for securing the same to the automobile body orother surface and the strip is provided with a flange adapted to bedisplaced from its original position and seated with its free edgeengaging the base so as to complete the prescribed finished or designeffect, and at the same time cover the nails and present a surface whichis unbroken in appearance.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 isan end View of one of the strips in its initial condition, i. e. beforethe strip is applied to the surface and before it is changed in form bybending its flange into its final position.

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1. V

Fig. 3 is a view like Fig. 1 of the strip after its flange has beenmoved to its final position to provide the finished molding and a coverfor the nails.

Fig. 4is a front View of the molding of Fig. 3. i

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modified form of the invention.

.Fig. 7 is a View of a further modification.

The drawing shows a strip of material as aluminum which is formed byextruding through a die. This material being pliant or malleable permitsthe strip to be changed in form from that shown in Fig. 1 to that shownin Fig. 3.

The strip initially consists of a base or securing portion 1 and a.flange 2 arranged substantially at right angles to each other andintegrally connected together by a weakened line of metal. This thinconnecting portion of the metal is provided by reducing the thickness ofthe base portion from the point 3 to the point 4, where the base wall orflange meets the inner face of the other flange 2. This reduction inthickness of the metal is gradual between the points mentioned so thatthere is provided an inclined flat surface eX- tending downwardlyand'outwardly or rearwardly in the illustration from the point or 2d andan inner curved surface at 26.

line 3 to the point or line 4. In other words this flat surface is inconvergent relation to the inner face 2a of the flange 2. The baseportion 1 of the strip is provided with openings as indicated fordriving nails through the strip into the automobile body or other partto which the strip is to be attached. The

outer or back face of this base flange or se- Euring portion of thestrip is substantially At the edge thereof opposite that upon which theflange 2 is located, there is a thickened rib or head 5 the faceof whichis curved from the extreme edge of this flan cm the point 6 at whichthere is an abrupt s oulder. The rib formation just described is on thefront face of the flange or base 1 and by its curved configuration itcontributes to the design effect, which when considered as a whole isthat of a base portion having its front face curved or arched from edgeto edge with .a central rounded rib or raised portion extendinglengthwise of the strip.

Incidentally the construction described presents the shoulder surface ata slight inclination to the front face of the strip 1 as indicated. Thisshoulder projects from the face of that part of the flange 1 which is ofnormal or full thickness and the shoulder is so located relative to thewidth of the flange 2.

that when said flange is turned 0r bent over the base flange the roundededge of this flange 2 will be received within the line of saidinflange-2 as before stated is substantially at right angles, initially,to the base or securing flange 1. It is rounded on its outer side at '1'and this rounded surface merges into the rear or outer face of theflange 1. F urtherit will be observed that this flange 2 has an upturnedlip portion 2?) extending substantially at right angles to the mainportion of the flange, the edge of the lip being rounded at 20. The lipis curved as viewed in cross Y section presenting an outer curvedsurface at The outer curved surface merges into the under curved surface2f of said flange 2, there beq ing on this under surface a depression orgroove 2% extending lengthwise of the flange and between the two curvedsurfaces 2f and 7.

As before stated, the flange 2, initially, is so located that nails maybe driven through the base flan e 1 to secure the strip to the car body.A or this is done the flange 2 is turned,

by exerting pressure thereon, over the front p face of the base flange1, this bending action being readily performed because of the weakenedline of metal at point 4, which virtually forms a hinge connectionbetween the two flanges. When turned to its full limit the roundedsurface at 20 of the lip 2b of the flange 2 will lie under the shoulder6, and

because the lip 26 is curved as above described and because of thecurved face of rib 5 and the curved face 7, the final form of themolding will present the appearance of a strip having its outer surfacecurved or arched from edge to edge with a raised head or rib extendingalong its center line substantially equally spaced from the edges of themain or base portion of the strip, said head also presenting a curvedsurface from edge to edge thereof. When viewed endwise the strip willpresent the appearance of a strip having a raised hollow rib or beadcentrally of its width, or in other words, the strip will have an archedcenter, this being due to the curved form of the lip. The free spacepro- Vided b this arch within the strip will accommo ate the nail headand should any nail be improperly driven or not driven all the way in,the arched formation will accommodate this irregularity and there willbe no deformation appearing on the surface of the strip.

It will be noticed that the strip presents a symmetrical shape. This isdue to the fact that the curve of the face of the rib 5 along one edgeof the strip harmonizes with the curve 7, which when the flange 2 isclosed over the flange or base 1 lies along the opposite edge portion ofthe strip and the curved lip 26 lies midway between these curved faces 5and 7. The groove 2.10 is symmetrically disposed in Fig. 4, i. e. afterthe flanges are closed one upon the other, in respect to the groove orrecess 5a.- lying between the curved lip 2b and the curved face of therib 5. In other words the strip when in final form presents a centralrib or bead like formation with a de ression or groove on each sidethereof. l y reason of this central rib conaruction bounded by thegrooves 5a: and 2:12, a solid unbroken appearance of the surface will bepresented to the eye and even though the rounded edge 20 of the lip 12bof the flange 2 be not in actual contact with the shoulder at 6, thiswill not be noticeable, as the eye will not detect the slight differencebetween one roove and the other when viewed from the rout of the strip.If contact of this rounded edge with the shoulder does take place itwill be substantially a line contact. By reason of the rounded edge 20and the flaring shape of the shoulder seating of the lip under theshoulder will be assured even though there be some slight irregularity,because the rounded surface will accommodate itself to the shoulder in amanner not ossible with a square or flat edge portion. The archedformation of the lip also contributes to the proper seating of the edgeof the li under the shoulder, as this arch can slight y deform itselfwhen pressed down into place, and accommodate itself to the shoulder, ina manner that would not be possible with a flat or straight flange lyingin one plane throughout.

It will be observed that when the strip is closed the inner face offlange 2 will close against the flat inclined face where the base flangeis thinned or undercut, i. e. between the points 3 and 4, thus closingthe angular groove a Fig. 1.

The location of this groove a or rather the undercut relation to the twoflanges 1 and 2 is important. It will be noticed that the inner face 2aof the flange 2 forms one wall of this angular groove resulting from thethinning or undercutting of the flange 1 between the points 3 and 4,because this formation brings the oints 4 of the undercut near the backface of t 1e flan e 1 and in the plane of the inner face 20. of t eflange 2. This undercut face 3, 4 is therefore entirely in the baseflange 1 and the thickness of the wall at 7 of the flange 2 is notaltered, so that in closing the flange 2 upon flange 1 the line of bendis back of the extreme edge a: of the completed strip. It is customarywith me to Duco or enamel the strip before it is folded into its finalform and experience has taught that the Duco or enamel is liable tocrack along the line of bend. Therefore, if bending took place along aline exposed to view from the front of the molding strip, the crackedpaint would be visible to the observer, but with the bending linedisposed at the point 4 above the thickness of the flange 2 as viewed inFig. 1, this being adjacent the back face of the base flange 1, anycracking of the paint which may take place will be hidden from the eyebecause it will not be on the front face of the completed strip, but onthe contrary will be at the back part of the rounded edge.

Instead of having the end of the lip 27) to locate itself within theline of the shoulder 6 or bear on said shoulder, the construction shownin Fig. 5 may be employed. Here the rib 5b is provided with a curvedfront face like above described, but said rib is formed slightly widerthan in the form first described and the edge of the lip 2b rests uponthe outer face of said rib or head. The symmetrical appearance ispreserved, the rounder face of the rib along one edge harmonizing orbeing symmetrical with the rounded surface 7 of the front face of theflange It will be seen from the above that because of the beaded orribbed appearance of the completed strip i. c. with a rounded or archedfront face bearing a raised centrally disposed rib or bead any slightcrevice between the edge of the lip of the covering flange 2 and the rib5 whether in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 or that shown in Fig. 5 willnot be noticeable because the lengthwise corrugated effect of the stripwill catch the eye and render the joint unnoticeable.

In Figure 7 a form is shown in which the base has no abrupt shoulder,but presents a front surface on which the edge of the flange 2g rests.

The portion of the base M at 50 which projects beyond the flange 2g iscurved to conform substantially to the curve at 7 a of the flange andthe base 1a is slightly dished at 1?).

It will be noted that the flange 2g in T, by simply laying on the base,presents the advantage that when the strip is bent on a curve, anytendency of the strip to wrinkle will be taken care of, as the free edgeportion can be ironed out, it not being confined by a shoulder. Contactbetween the flange and body takes place at the extreme edge of theflange, the main portion of said flange being Spaced apart from the bodyto accommodate the nail head, if this should protrude from the body. Thestructure is made of one piece but gives in appearance the effect of abase piece on which a bead is mounted centrally.

I claim:

1. A one piece strip of extruded metal for automobiles comprising a basehaving at one edge a flange initially positioned at an angle thereto toallow fastening devices to be forced through the base, said base beingthinned to a point in line with the inner face of said flange to providea weakened line in the base about which the flange may turn bodily andwithout deformation, the flange being thicker than the said weakenedline and having no bending contact with the base intermediate its freeedge and its attached edge, the said attached edge portion reachingoutwardly beyond the weakened line to maintain concealment of the same,substantially as described.

2. An extruded metal strip having a base with an intermediate portion ofsubstantial thickness designed to receive spaced apart fastening membersextending transversely therethrough, the front face of the base havinga. marginal portion extending at an obtuse angle to the face of theintermediate part of the base and towards the rear of the base toprovide a relatively thin wall at one edge of the base, substantially inthe plane of the rear face of the base and offset from the front face ofthe intermediate part of the base, and a preformed wing, or flange,forming an integral continuation of the thin edge of the base,

the wing in cross section beingof such length that, when folded down, itwill extend across and cover the fastening means aforesaid, the opposedfaces of the wing andbase being of such shape that the wing can befolded down unobtructedly and without deformation until its free edgemakes contact with the base.

3. An extruded metal strip having abase with an intermediate portion ofsubstantial thickness designed to receive spaced apart fastening membersextending transversely therethrough, the front face of the base having amarginal portion extending at an obtuse an le to the face of saidintermediate part and towards tl e rear of the base to providerelatively thin wall atone edge of the latter, and a preformed wing, orflange, forming an integral continuation ofthe thin edge of the base,the wing in cross section being of such length that, when folded down,it will extend across and cover the fastening means aforesaid, the innerface of the wing, or flange, having a portion complemental to the obtuseangular surface-of the base and a marginal portion deflected inwardly inrespect to the first pOl'lZlOllttlld lying over the intermediate part ofthe base when the free edge of the wing, or flange, makes contact withthe base.

4. A one piece extruded metal strip com prising a base having a rearsurface for abutment against a support and a front face having anintermediate portion substantially parallel to the rear surface, acurved marginal portion on one side of the intermediate portion, and anangularly extending portion on the other side of the intermediateportion extending towards the rear surface and providing in connectiontherewith a thin wall at one edgeof the base, substantially offsettoward the rear of the base from the front face of said intermediateportion, the intermediate portion of the base being designed to havespaced apart attaching means pass therethrough,

and a preformed wing extending integrally from the thin edge of the baseand having its outer marginal. portion concave-convex in cross section,whereby, when the wing is folded down, the concave surface thereof willarch over the intermediate portion of the base, and the convex surfacewill provide a bead, said wing between the last named portion and itsedge integral with the base having a curved outer surface substantiallycorresponding to the first named marginal surface of the base, and aninner surface coinplementa-l to the second named marginal surface of thefront face of the base, for permitting the wing to be turned downwithout deformation towards the base until contact is made therewith bythe free edge of the wing 5. A one piece metallic strip comprising abase adapted to be attached to and supported by fastening devicesextending transversely through the intermediate part thereof, and awing, or flange, occupying initially a position out of a planeperpendicular to the face of the intermediate part of the base and afinal position in said plane for concealing the fastening devices, thebase in cross section 'having a relatively thick intermediate portionand at one side thereof a substantially right-angle triangular portion,the hypotenuse of which forms a beveled face on the base and the anglethereof with the rear surface of the base constitutes a thin lengthwiseedge of the latter, and the wing, or flange, having a substantially flatinner surface intersecting said beveled face and forming therewith anacute angle in the initial position of the wing, or flange, the latterbeing adapted without deformation to be swung about the line ofintersection of said surface and beveled face as a center to bring thefree edge of the wing, or flange, into contact with the base, the innersurface of the wing, or flange, between the first named surface thereofand its free edge'extending inwardly at an angle in respect to saidfirst named surface.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

EDWARD J. 'WELCH.

